New Board of Supervisors agrees a lot at meeting

Carter Borden elected chairman, Louise Theberge as vice-chair

GLOUCESTER — Unanimous votes were the order of business at Tuesday night's Board of Supervisors meeting in a signal that four new members are intent on moving away from the previous board's friction.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on numerous organizational issues in a speedy 90-minute meeting, the first of which was electing Supervisor Carter Borden as chairman. The second unanimous vote was appointing Supervisor Louise Theberge as vice-chair.

"Starting out with a unanimous vote is an honor," Borden said.

He plans to serve to the best of his ability, he said.

The Board of Supervisors has four new members who were elected in November. They include Ashley Chriscoe, as an At-Large member; Chris Hutson, from the Gloucester Point District; Andy James from the Ware District; and Bob "JJ" Orth, from Abingdon District. They join Borden, Theberge and Supervisor John Northstein, representing the Petsworth District.

After the election of the chair and vice-chair, the board members also started a new tradition by giving opening remarks. The general tenor of the remarks was that the supervisors have big issues to deal with this year — including reassessment, the Utilities Department, budgeting and building a new middle school — but they intend to do the work of the people while getting along.

"Let's shake hands and be friends when we come in here and shake hands when we leave," Borden said. "That's how we're going to get things done, by respecting each other."

One other noticeable change at the night's meeting involved law enforcement — or the lack thereof.

For the first time in years, no Gloucester County Sheriff's deputies were posted at the meeting.

For the first time in years, no Gloucester County Sheriff's deputies were posted at the meeting; typically each meeting had two deputies stationed in the Colonial Courthouse. Two deputies had been posted at the meetings since November 2009, when an anonymous tipster called a crime line and reported that a terminally ill man had threatened to go to a Board of Supervisors meeting and shoot at the supervisors.

Among the future agenda items the Board of Supervisors discussed is supporting local businesses.